Ruby steers Sanctuaire home in Fred Winter

Updated: Wednesday, 17 Mar 2010 17:25

Ruby Walsh became the winning-most jockey in the history of the Cheltenham Festival when Sanctuaire sprinted clear to win the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle.

Walsh had his mount in midfield in the early stages but the well-backed 4-1 favourite moved through the field with ease and was on the tails of the leaders rounding the final turn.

Notus De La Tour nipped up the inside to take up the running before Walsh joined him at the last, after which he streaked away to score by nine lengths.

Walsh moves on to 26 Festival winners, one more than the previous best set by Pat Taaffe, rider of the legendary Arkle.The consistent Orsippus ran through beaten horses for third, with the strong-travelling Son Amix fading up the hill into fourth.

Winning trainer Paul Nicholls said: 'We had some problems with him when he first came over (from France) and at first we couldn't get him on to the gallop.

'But he clearly has a lot of ability and he'll be even more the finished product after a summer out. Obviously he can't run in a handicap again and so I'll probably run him in the juvenile hurdle at Aintree.'